SC closes proceedings against Tej Pratap Yadav in Journalist murder case

In a relief to RJD chief Lalu Prasad’s son Tej Pratap Yadav, the CBI on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it did not find anything against him in the murder of journalist Rajdeo Ranjan.

The Central Bureau of Investigation told the bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A.M.Khanwilkar and Justice D.Y.Chandrachud that an investigation of two accused persons, Mohammed Kaif and Javed, was ongoing.

The CBI’s statement was in response to a plea made by the journalist’s widow Asha Ranjan seeking a probe against Tej Pratap, a former Bihar Health Minister.

Disposing off the plea, the court allowed her to approach the Patna High Court if she finds anything against Tej Pratap at a later stage.

The CBI had last year taken custody of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Shahabuddin, whose name has cropped up as an accused in the investigation of Ranjan’s murder. The four-time RJD MP from Siwan is alleged as having been involved in the murder of Ranjan, a journalist of a prominent Hindi daily. Earlier on August 22, 2017, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed a charge sheet against Shahabuddin

In February 2017, the Supreme Court had ordered that Shahabuddin is shifted from Siwan Jail in Bihar to Tihar Jail in the national Capital. The court order was based on a plea by Ranjan’s widow. Shahabuddin is currently serving his sentence in Tihar Jail and stands accused in as many as 45 cases, including the murder of Ranjan in May 2016. Rajdeo Ranjan was gunned down in Siwan district while returning from office on May 13, 2016.